“I moved on to being a teacher,” Duenna went on, choosing to ignore the others, “I quite liked it. Although the students would often so ungratefully complain about me to their parents. I always settled it out.” Duenna gave a little nod.

“You seem… very self aware.” Ruby said carefully.

“It’s possible she’s a narcissist.” Thesis stated blandly. Duenna ignored this remark and spoke to Ruby.

“Is there anything else you would like to know?” Duenna asked in a sugary voice. There was a very long pause before Ruby responded.

“Might I, erm. Um, could I maybe ask how you got the name Duenna?” She asked.

Duenna closed her eyes and gave a sad, humming sigh. She took a deep breath of the dusty, heavy air and opened her eyes again, revealing that they were watering. Thesis began to say something, but Agony flicked him on the shoulder and vigorously shook her head ‘no,’ silencing him.

“One of the first children I ever nannied, a little girl named Martina. She was a sweet little thing. Her parents… were not good people. They would ignore her for long periods of time. She was very excited when they hired me. She was my favorite person for a while. But her parents didn’t have enough money to keep me on, and I was fired.” Duenna wiped a tear from her eye and chuckled, “That may have been the only time the parents didn’t want to fire me.” She joked.

Thesis again began to speak, but Agony and Motif both shushed him.

“They were a Spanish family and while I worked for them, Martina referred to me as ‘Duenna’.” She explained somberly, “When I had to leave she gave me this doll.” Duenna held up the raggedy doll, as grungy as everything else and torn and fraying in several places. Duenna picked at the threads in one of the smaller holes. “Poor little Martina.” She whispered.

Motif shifted to sit a little closer to Sequel. He took off his sunglasses and started into the fire. Without the sunglasses it was much easier to take in just how battered and scarred his face was, as he joined his closest companion in staring into the fire.

Agony flicked her cigarette butt into the fire and didn’t get a new one. She pulled her knees up to her chin and put her head down. Thesis furrowed his brow and squeezed his eyes shut, and his hands into fists. Even the fire seemed to quiet for a minute, as everyone wallowed in the moment of melancholy, letting themselves be overtaken by the overwhelming tragedy of an ended world.

Motif leaned over and let his head fall onto Sequel’s shoulder. Sequel slackened his jaw, looked up into the sky and let out a short, sharp sound that was between a sob and a wail, and then was silent again.

“Motif, I think you oughta go.” Agony said, quickly and quietly.

“I agree.” said Ruby.

“Yeah, okay. I’ll go.” Motif said soberly, lifting himself back away from Sequel’s side. He put his broken sunglasses back on, threw his head back and shook out his hands. When drew his head back, he had regained his usual bright and animated demeanor.